Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

Welcome to a special edition of the LTSD Superintendent's Newsletter.

Today marks the first day of Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, which is May 8-12. The weather is getting warmer and we are approaching the end of the school year. With only 29 days left in the school year, I hope you can reflect back on your accomplishments and milestones and know that you made a difference in a student's life.

So this edition is dedicated to our amazing Lacey Township School District Teachers. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, your willingness to think outside the box, and most of all, for the countless hours you've spent developing new ways of teaching and supporting our students both inside and outside the classroom.

Tune in throughout the week as this newsletter will feature a special message each day of the week to commemorate Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week 2023!

Bethann Barneman - Cedar Creek Elementary School

Humbled and overwhelmed may best explain my sentiments that I have been selected for Teacher of the Year. It was four years ago that I made the bittersweet decision to resign from my former school district to join the Lacey teaching staff. Lakehurst School District was my home for over thirteen years. It will always be a place that I treasure as the cornerstone of my educational career. I pride myself in my classroom community. Acceptance and kindness are a natural component of our class. No matter where I am teaching, this is my greatest asset as a teacher. It goes without saying that educating my students is important, however creating a classroom that fosters character will always be my goal. It is truly an honor to serve as part of the Lacey staff. I am fortunate to be a part of the district’s amazing growth and work with some of the brightest colleagues in education. With that said, I am extremely proud of the relationships that I have been able to foster over the years with the students, staff, parents and the people of the Lacey community.

Miranda Paris - Forked River Elementary School

I am both honored and humbled to be chosen Teacher of the Year at the Forked River Elementary School. The guidance an support of my administration allows me to deal efficiently with and overcome obstacles with confidence. I take great pride in working with our school staff and most especially with my Special Area team as we create cross-curricular activities for our students. In my dual role as School Librarian and Gifted & Talented Instructor, I've created the success imagined where I continually encourage students to carry their skills with them and embrace change no matter where they go. It is a standard I teach so they are ready to tackle the challenges of their education and beyond. As a perpetual student myself, it is my ongoing goal to improve my practice each and every year, to research and implement new ways of instruction, to instill the love of learning and to motivate my students to excel in everything they do.

Heather Meyler - Lanoka Harbor Elementary School

I am honored to have been chosen as Lanoka Harbor School’s Teacher of the Year. To be given this award, given the quality of staff that I work with each day at Lanoka, is humbling. I am extremely lucky that in the 13 years working in Lacey Township, I have been able to work besides some of those same talented teachers who both shaped me as a person, and influenced me to be where I am today. As soon as a child walks into the classroom, my goal has always been to create a place where students can feel they are safe, loved, and a successful learner. I believe it is important to develop a learning community that promotes problem-solving skills, perseverance, and student-centered learning. Each child learns differently, and to teach to those different styles is vital in creating a motivated and driven student. Sometimes it is important to slow it down and think that we are teaching little humans not only how to be academically successful, but how to be a positive influential person in our world. I am grateful to be recognized by my peers and I look forward to growing in this profession and proudly serving both my students and my district.

Kelly Brown - Mill Pond Elementary School

It is an honor and a privilege to be awarded Teacher of the Year. I feel so fortunate to be recognized simply for doing a job that I have loved for 22 years. As a Student Assistance Counselor, I spend my days interacting with as many students as I can. I genuinely look forward to greeting them each morning at drop off, saying hello to their parents, siblings, and pets as well. Fostering relationships is always my goal. It is a wonderful feeling when a student trusts and confides in me in hopes that I might be able to help in whatever is causing them discomfort. Supporting them through challenging times and helping them to grow strong and confident are my true objectives. I am so grateful to my administration who support all my endeavors and to the amazing Mill Pond staff, whom I love very much!

Dawn Bentivegna - Lacey Township Middle School

My teaching philosophy is three-fold: to create an environment where students feel comfortable to learn, to establish high standards that are attainable with effort in conjunction with ability, and to build lasting relationships with my students where they know they are both supported and cared for at all times. I believe my greatest gift as a teacher is the ability to create connections with all students both within and outside of my classroom. With rare exception, I look forward to coming to school every day! The rapport I have with my colleagues working on the scholarship committee and as a data coach for LTMS has allowed us to both raise money and start to create meaningful change in understanding how data can drive instruction. The connections I have with my students makes coming into work less like a job and more of seeing members of my family. To say that I was blessed to be hired by Lacey Twp. Middle School 9 years ago was an understatement.

Alexandra York - Lacey Township High School

I am filled with immense gratitude and pride to have been selected as the Teacher of the Year at Lacey Township High School, LTHS. I am a proud graduate of the LTHS Class of 2002 and feel honored to be a part of the staff here in Lacey for the past 17 years. My passion for academic success and extracurricular involvement is indicative of my fervent desire to see the students of LTHS shine each day. I put my heart and soul into doing everything I can do to improve students’ experiences at LTHS, and devote much of my time towards being a teacher of Chemistry and Student Government Association advisor that my students can count on. My continuous goal as an educator is for the students of LTHS to see the investment that I make in them so that they become inspired to do the same within their school community as well as in the future as graduates. I’m eternally grateful for the path that LTHS has led me on and for being able to pursue my passion here. My roots are firmly planted at LTHS, and I consider myself lucky to be a lifelong Lacey Lion.

Email: vpereira@laceyschools.org
Website: laceyschools.org
Location: 200 Western Boulevard, Lanoka Harbor, NJ, USA
Phone: 609-971-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laceyschools/
Twitter: @LTSDSup